Page:History of Woman Suffrage Volume 6.djvu/114

IOO HISTORY OF WOMAN SUFFRAGE agement to him until the Republican floor leader, William Lyons, had to ask her to stop. The Senate refused to send the resolution to the House and finally the Republicans succeeded in forcing an adjournment of the Legislature until May 17, hoping to bring about a change of sentiment. Some of those who were interested in the ratifica- tion were asked to meet at the capital that day. Among those who responded were Alfred I., T. Coleman and Pierre S. du Pont, Governor Townsend, Senator Ball, Representative Layton, former United States Senator J. F. Alice, Secretary of State Johnson, Charles Warner, former Congressman Hiram R. Bur- ton, Speaker Charles Grantland and others. These men argued and pleaded with the Republican legislators to give the 36th and final ratification of the iQth Amendment but without effect. On May 28, twenty-three days after the resolution had passed the Senate, it was sent to the Lower House. In the interval the Labor Union of Wilmington passed resolutions unanimously calling upon their three Representatives, McNabb, Mulvena and Mulrine, to vote for ratification. President Wilson was assured that only three Democratic votes were needed and he, therefore, telegraphed these three : "May I not as a Democrat express my deep interest in the suffrage amendment and my judgment that it would be of the greatest service to the party if every Democrat in the Delaware Legislature should vote for it?" Speaker Corbit was interviewed by members of the Republican National Com- mittee and Republican leaders from within and without the State and strongly urged to stand with his party, but to no avail. The resolution was read twice and a motion was unanimously car- ried that the House resolve itself into a Committee of the Whole. Representative Lyons here offered a motion to vote on the resolu- tion, which was defeated by 24 noes, 10 ayes. A motion was then put to adjourn until 12.30, June 2, on which day it had been previously voted to adjourn sine die at noon, and it was carried! The House thus again placed itself on record against ratification and ended all further legislative action. The causes that led to the defeat were briefly: i. Factional differences in the Republican party; antagonism toward Gov- ernor Townsend; half-hearted interest and even treachery on the